The document summarizes a reaction paper by a student about the book "Learning from Las Vegas" by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour. The book argues that modern architecture failed to consider context and the broader environment. Instead, symbolic elements like large signs in Las Vegas play a stronger role in spatial relationships and connecting with people than the buildings themselves. The student agrees and feels architecture should better integrate art, culture, and symbols from the surrounding context to communicate with the community rather than just adding buildings.

1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2017)
Name: Foo Shi-Ko ID No.: 0318262
Lecturer: Mr. Prince Favis Tutorial Time: 12pm
Reader/Text Title:
Learning From Las Vegas
Synopsis No: 1
Author: Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Steven Izenour
The book “Learning from Las Vegas” written by Venturi, Brown and Izenour, have claimed that
architects in the prevailing era had drawn to design withoutappropriate analysis and much sights onto the
understanding of a much broader picture rather than just focus on the minimalism aesthetic depict in the
infamous saying quoted by Venturi himself, “Less is Bore”.
“Modern architecture has been anything butpermissive: Architects have preferred to change the
existing environmentrather than enhance what is there” (p3). In this sense, they agree with Venturi as
majority ofthe modern architecture seems to have fail to taking in the contextas consideration and buildings
are builtusing materials such as the steel and glass has continue to rise despite “tried to take it over by
inventing and enforcing a vernacular of its own, improved and universal.”
Instead how historical buildings actually evoked sense offamiliarity and explicitromantic allusion to the
pastto convey literacy or programmatic symbolism which is what I strongly feel what the society and
community needs butas well correspond to the saying “change is not a replacement”.
Consequently, hypothesis being made that symbolism such as the huge signs observed in Las Vegas
has built its role through vividly overtaken over the existence ofbuilding where “ifyou take the signs away,
there is no place” because spatial relationship are made by symbols more than the form. It seems thatthis
theory explained how the extravagant graphic packaging ofthe road signage somehow made a greater
connection with the people compared to the vastboring similar-like building which made a lesser strong
impression on the community.
To conclude, Ifeel that we should integrate the essence ofartand culture from the contextanalysis
onto the architecture itself with the design in mind to enhance the what is already there or else itwould be
just another solid being popped onto the site failing to communicate with the community. Furthermore, it is
probing the generation to question the way we look at things as well as a way of learning from our
surroundings such that starkness and expressive form in building may results the importance ofemphasis
on signa and symbols.
Word Count: 383 Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date Page No.

2. References:
"Learning From 'Learning From Las Vegas' With Denise ScottBrown, Part I: The
Foundation". Archinect. N.p., 2017. Web. 3
"Learning From Las Vegas". En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 7 June 2017.